Like most working professionals, I have my morning routine down to a science. The alarm clock goes off at the same time (almost every day), I’ve now gotten to a point where I move through my morning routine without much thought to it anymore. I swear half of the time I wake up halfway through my morning routine hardly believing how I got there.
Many years ago I read an article about other high powered business people and used that to mould my own. Look, I know I’m more than likely not going to be a CEO one day or anyone of significant importance but a girl can dream, right? I’ve always been super focused on goals and this was just one of them I set for myself, start the day in the best way I can.
There were a couple of similarities that I noticed from these successful morning routines. I took those elements and started to apply them to my own mornings. Curious about what it looks like?
5:10 | First alarm
I’ve been lucky that I generally wake up immediately after my alarm goes off. These days with life being so busy it can get difficult to actually get out of bed but I’m always awake. I usually use this time to catch up on anything that I’ve missed over the evening.
Embarrassingly one of the first things I do is check Instagram, then Facebook, then Email. In fairness, my full-time job is social media and when I’m not working I’m usually doing social media for my blog. It’s never-ending. Therefore, an important part of my morning routine is catching up.
5: 18 | Second alarm
Usually by this time I’m finishing up my browsing or catching up and am getting ready to actually get out of bed. If I’m feeling particularly lazy I’ll usually stay in bed until about 5:23 but that’s a rare occasion.
Once I get up I get dressed, brush my teeth and head downstairs to make coffee. During which time I’m putting my shoes on and the minute that the last drop of coffee falls I’m practically halfway out the door, mug in tow.
This might sound bizarre but one of the things we looked for when buying our home was proximity to a gym. It is a rare occasion that I don’t do some sort of workout during the day. It’s gotten to a point now where I don’t feel awake unless sweat so having a fitness centre nearby was important. Luckily for us, the local gym is a 16-minute walk (8 minutes if I run there).
5: 45 | Workout
Having now worked out almost every day for the past, oh, 12 years I have enough exercises and routines in my memory bank I usually change it up every day. One of the best apps I’ve found for workouts, especially while travelling is the Nike Training Club app. As long as you have wifi to download the workouts you want, it’s seriously the best resource.
My morning routine always includes some sort of cardio and every other day I’ll do weights. I think mixing up your workouts every day is really important. The last thing you want to do is get fatigued of the same routine over and over again so mixing it up is great. I’ll even go to different areas of the gym to ensure that my atmosphere is different every day.
My morning routine is generally a 45-minute workout but on the weekends I’ll go for longer if I have time.
6:35 | Head home
Whether I choose to run or walk home really depends on my energy levels but generally every day I leave the gym at the same time. All that depends on how much time I give myself to get ready once I’m there and showered!
I’m not too high maintenance so getting ready in the morning isn’t a long drawn out production. Or at least that’s what I like to tell myself. A good 35 minutes and I’m ready to head out the door.
Because Ben doesn’t have to leave until much later than me and doesn’t do much besides roll out of bed, shower and get dressed in the mornings he’s usually still sleeping. That means most mornings I’m getting ready in the dark. I guess it’s not such a problem in the summer because the sun is usually up by this time but I’m finding it increasingly hard as the weather gets colder to see in the mornings.
7:30 | Meal prep
Some weeks I’m uber prepared and do my meal preps on Sunday’s which make my morning routine way easier. However, for the most part, I end up patching together breakfast and lunch within a 15-minute span. Because I workout on an empty stomach and don’t have much time afterwards to eat I generally end up bringing breakfast to the office with me.
I love making smoothies for breakfast. Not only are they super easy but they are so good for you as well. Putting items like Avocado, full-fat yoghurt and crunchy granola on top, keeps me full until lunch time as well. Once lunch is made and packed I’m out the door and on my way to work!
7:50 | Commute
I’m lucky in that I have basically 4-5 different options for getting to work. While the subway is a little faster (literally by minutes) I prefer to either take the streetcar or the bus into work. As someone who has their days basically planned to the last minute, the thought of sitting on a subway with no service and nothing to do sounds like a nightmare.
The 40-45 minutes it takes me to get in in the mornings is usually jam-packed with updating my Instagram, going through my schedule for the day and answering important emails. Of course, working in the social media world I’m usually always updating myself on the latest trends or news for my industry.
8:25 | Arrive at work
Finally at 8:25 I get to work and start my day. By the time I sit at my desk I feel like I’ve been away for hours and hours already, which is a good thing. I find getting a mini workout in, in the morning is the best way to wake my brain up to get myself set up and ready to start the day.
So there you have it, a glimpse into my morning routine. Do you think you could do it? I know the thought of waking up at 5 am every day sounds like a horrible idea but I promise once you start doing it and make it part of your morning routine, you’ll find it super easy!
